Combined chassis and multichannel tuner



Feb. 14, 1950 A. A. VALDETTARO 2,497,747

COMBINED CHASSIS AND MULTICHANNEL TUNER Filed March 24, 1948 x 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 O I'- w //l Feb. 14, 1950 A. A. VALDETTARO 1 7 COMBINED CHASSIS AND MULTICHANNEL TUNER Filed March 24, 1948 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 PI\T q o m fl ,4 2 M 1k 55 57 I I I s 5 J70 II"! IIIIIIH III III Illl HI Patented Feb. 14, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINED CHASSIS AND MULTICHANNEL TUNER Application March 24, 1948, Serial No. 16,771

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a tuning device suitable for high frequency tuning, more particularly television tuning and the like.

The chief object of this invention is to provide a structure which is so constructed that the several parts are readily accessible for adjustment and which also is fully shielded and is mechanically protected against accidental damage, more particularly in the handling of such unit.

The chief feature of the invention resides in the provision of two U-shaped confronting box forming associated metallic members which form a container wherein the major portion of the tuning elements are included and by which the same are supported. Such members as stated comprise a protection and a shield.

Another feature of the invention resides in providing openings in one of the U-shaped members whereby ready access may be had to the interior for adjustment purposes.

A supplementary feature of the invention resides in the yielding construction of one of the U-shaped members so that the U-shaped members are frictionally associated together.

Still a further feature of the invention resides in an additional latch connection between the U-shaped members. Other objects and features of the invention will be set forth more fully hereinafter.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, one of the U-shaped members being removed. Fig. 3 is a front view of the same, one of the U-shaped members being removed, and the respective tubes externally supported by the member shown being omitted and is taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2 and in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but looking at the opposite side of the structure shown.

Fig. 5 is a rear elevational view of the part shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view looking into the aterior of the U-shaped shield and closure mem- In Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive there is illustrated a somewhat rugged U-shaped metallic base memher having the central portion I0, the front panel portion H and the rear panel portion I2. Mounted upon the central panel portion are any desired number of sockets I3, [4 and i5 and de tachably supported thereby are the tubes Hi, I! and I8.

Associated with the socket I5 is a shield l9 having a bayonet slot connection 20 with another shield 2|, the latter shield having included therein a spring not shown for contacting the top of the tube 18. The leads, resistors, condensers and other circuit elements are all disposed below the sockets and suitably connected thereto. Supported in depending relation, as at 22, is a partition plate 23. This partition plate is centrally apertured as at 24 so that an oscillation member 25 may freely rotate therein without interference.

Disposed adjacent front panel H is a centrally apertured support member 26 and between said member 26 and said member 23 are insulation members 21, 28, and 28a. In outboard relation to the plate 23 and rearwardly thereof is another insulation member 29. These each are suitably centrally apertured and each is provided with suitable contacts. There may be more or less of these insulation members if desired.

Herein a pair of elongated bolts 30 together with the nuts 3| and the spacing sleeves 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36 serve to rigidly support all of the aforesaid elements 26 to 29 inclusive in substantially parallel relation with their central apertures longitudinally aligned.

Carried by the central member 25 is a shorting ring structure so that in the rotation of member 25, or rather oscillation thereof, certain of the contacts will be engaged and circuit values ditional support members, see Fig. 4, the circuit member 44 being in the ground connection.

The metallic plate 26 includes a series of apertures arranged annularly and between which are disposed the projections 46. This provides frictional interference for a step lock member 41 carried by the member 25 by means of the parallel portions 48, same being secured to said mem' ber 25 as at 49.

The plate 26 as stated is centrally apertured and a shaft 50 is suitably headed at see Fig. 2, so as to effect rigidity therebetween. This shaft at its outer end carries the knob 52. The plate 26 includes coplanar radially disposed prongs and certain of these may be turned rearwardly' to lie in the plane of the member 47 so that the tongue 52 thereof can engage same at the extreme positions of oscillation; said turned prongs thus limiting the travel of the rotary switch unit. Rotatably supported on shaft 50 is. a sleeve 54. The outer end of said sleeve carries hand wheel 55 and the inner end carries the metallic disc 56 and the same is in frictional engagement with the split disc 51 carried on shaft 58, in turn carried as at 59 b the front panel portion ll.

' 60 comprises a stop struck from the front panel portion. 6| comprises an arm rigid with the split disc structure 5? and thus this split disc has limited rotative movement to slightly less than 360 and continued rotation of the hand wheel will cause slippage between disc 56 and split disc 57. This constitutes a vernier adjustment.

' The front panel H has holes 82 by which the operator can obtain entrance into the interior of the structure to effect adjustment of the 0scill'ator coils if screws are used for coil adjustment purposes. The member is provided with enough annularly arranged apertures so that there can be an FM station location, an AF station location and an RF station location, etc., so that this tuner can switch from television to FM, AF-or RF as desired.

Carried in exposed relation on the rear panel l2, see Fig. 5, as at 63' are the insulation base portions 64 and as shown by the dotted lines 65 the rear panel i2 is suitably apertured so that lead lines 66, see Fig. 2, can be brought to the rear panel and project therethrough and be suitably secured to terminals 61 carried by the insulation base members 64.

' From the foregoing, therefore, it will be understood that as the knob 52 is turned, step by step, the member 41 yields and rotates step by step in the desired direction with reference to the plate 26 and each of the circular switch elements carriedby the member 25 similarly rotates thus, in eflect, shorting out certain of the circuit elements step by step or cutting in additional circuit elements step by step.

Referring to Fig. 1, note that the central portion ['0 includes depending tongues 58 struck therefrom as at 69. These tongues have a toothformation. A combination shield and closure, see Fig. 6, comprises the U'-shaped member having the centralportion It and the two sides 7! and 12. The latter are notched near the outer edges as at 13 to provide a socket for the toothed. catch'68. The ends of the sides are split longitudinally as at 14 for a slight distance inwardly from the ends and the ends of the sides are vshaped as at l5.

Likewise, the ends of the central panel portionv are V-shaped as at it. The ends of the side panels and the central portion at the junction are split as at H. In addition thereto, the side portions are apertured as at 18 and the central portion is apertured as at 19. When the two U- shaped members are slidably associated together, the toothed tongues or latches 68 lock in the openings 13 and retain the parts together. Furthermore, the edges of the front and rear panels are frictionally engaged and nested in the V- shaped grooved formations at the ends of the U-shaped shield having the central portion 70 and sides I! and 12.

There may be as many holes or apertures 18 and 19 as desired or required. While but one peripheral series is disclosed, there maybe more than that if desired or required. These holes permit the operator to insert a small tool to spread apart or compress the turns of the several circuit elements shown more particularly in Fig. 2, thereby changing the value of the circuit element as is well understood in the radio art.

The present invention, therefore, provides a compact, shielded and mechanically protected unit which is substantially full size as shown in the several figures and which can tune all of the television channels and. other channels as well. A tuner of this character, therefore, can be fabricated to standard specifications for a television set and supplied the manufacturer or assembler thereof with the approximate values of circuit elements standardized and thereafter the test mechanic or engineer can readily and easily adjust for each individual set the several individual example, the three holes 8E1 in the top, see Fig. 1,

may be used for depending support of the unit in a television cabinet and if desired, the four holes 8|, see Fig. 3 may be used for connecting the unit to the front panel of such a set. In either case, when access is desired to the interior of the tuner, the operator need only grasp the shield shown in Fig. 6 in one hand with his fingers on one side and thumb on the other and press inwardly to free the lock and latch catch and then pull downwardly on the shield member and expose all the parts for inspection or repair purposes.

No claim is here made to any particular tuning circuit or any particular tuning circuit constants other than their mounting and exposure for adlustment.

It will be readily apparent that each of the insulation members may be assembled independently and with the circuit elements applied thereto bridging adjacent contacts, and then the circular switch elements within such insulation members may be associated with the member 25 and then all the interior mechanism may be assembled, the final step being the connection of the central partition member 23 to the top It and the connection of the shaft 50 to the member 41:.

Thereafter all the other parts may be mounted orconnected' as desired or required.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that this construction readily lends itself to economical mass production with the certainty that the initial assembly has substantially all the required elements and these of the desired values, and then the same may be tested and adjusted to the predetermined values required by the television set manufacturer or assembler and then when the unit is installed, the values may be further modified as described hereinbefore.

The foregoing detailed description is to be 0011- sidered as illustrative and not restrictive in charactor and the invention comprehends within its scope this detailed, described structure and other equivalent structures which will readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art, reference being had to the appended claims for the definition of said invention.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a tuning device suitable for multi-channel tuning of multi-station television and comparable radio-frequency structure, the combination of a U-shaped supporting base member, a confronting closure and shield U-shaped member, the two members interfitting to form a substantially closed chamber, one of said members upon at least two opposite sides, near the edges thereof having groove formations for seating and frictionally gripping the groove seated edges of the other member when interfitted, said members having integral latch and catch formations for locking together the members when interfitted to form the chamber, tuning elements disposed within the resulting chamber and supported by the base member, a manually oscillatable member projecting from one end of the base member, osclllatable switch members, and an oscillatory support for said switch member disposed within the chamber and connected to the manually operable member for channel selection purposes.

2. In :a tuning device a supporting base of U-shape, a closure and shield of U-shape, the base and shield interfitting to form a chamber and having frictional interlocking edge to edge formations, a bracket plate carried by the midportion of the base and extending in the same direction as the end portions of said base and disposed substantially parallel thereto, a plurality of insulation members disposed parallel thereto, a plurality of elongated spacing type supports rigid with the bracket plate, the plate and insulation members having aligned openings therethrough for support accommodation, said insulation members and the plate having aligned centrally disposed openings, an insulation elongated structure disposed in the central openings, switch means disposed in coplanar relation to the insulation members and rotatable in the central openings therein and carried by the insulation structure for switching purposes, circuit components controlled by said switch means and carried by said insulation members, a manually operable shaft projecting through one end portion of said base and longitudinally aligned with said elongated structure, and a connection between said shaft and the insulation structure, the said one end portion of the base including an annular series of openings therethrough and disposed about the axis of the central openings to provide access to the circuit components for adjustment thereof.

3. A device as defined by claim 2 wherein each insulation member adjacent the opening therein is provided with a plurality of arcuately arranged contact terminals, and a circuit element connects each adjacent pair of said terminals, the shield having a series of openings in the sides and midportion thereof and disposed between a pair of insulation members for access and adjustment of the circuit elements disposed therebetween.

ALARICO A. VALDETIARO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,891,247 Shapiro Dec. 20, 1932 1,929,492 Hall Oct. 10, 1933 2,411,013 Warnke Nov. 12, 1946 2,420,184 Mekelburg Ma 6, 1947 

